XPost: comp.lang.fortran, comp.lang.c++
From: janis_papanagnou+ng@hotmail.com
On 2026-01-25 22:21, Lynn McGuire wrote:
>> Lynn McGuire schrieb:
>>>
>>> [...] I've got enough problems without having to deal with localization.
Getting all right if implementing things from scratch is demanding.
(Luckily software and systems nowadays handle that for us.)
$ LC_NUMERIC=de_DE.UTF-8 printf "%9.3f\n" 1.234,567
1234,567
$ LC_NUMERIC=en_US.UTF-8 printf "%9.3f\n" 1,234.567
1234.567
> BTW, I don't put commas in my 12 digit printed numbers because I sell
> 40% of my software outside the USA, just periods.
That, OTOH, is just the trivial part. Even some old languages (like
Simula) allowed to change the decimal mark character for read/write
of real numbers. Since you just need that function on the interface
level it can be done in one place (presuming you use the respective
function, or redefine your own); the internal representation may be
all the same. So just define the numeric separators in the program's
environment.
> Shoot, people can't
> even agree on periods or commas for the fractional part.
Are you really complaining about characteristics of people's (or
nation's) historic conventions?
They typically use what's defined in their nation. (What's actually
supported by the respective locale for that language/nation.) It's
hard to change long used common habits. (See introduction of the SI
units in the USA, for example.) I think they usually also don't need
to change their habits. Only in case of international cooperation we
need to distinguish the [external] representation. (Our IT, software
systems, and programmers certainly can handle that.)
Personally I'm using the "C" locale for numeric representations in
my private computing. But I'm used to write numbers like "1234.567",
where non-IT people might not be used to it.
Though even long existing software doesn't get localization sensibly
implemented (despite they're technically using locales). But that's
another story.
Janis
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